Fall Arts Preview: Performances abound at Valley theaters

The fall arts season boasts quality events, ranging from Man of La Mancha to Tori Amos to an exhibit of Hopi pottery.

Legends are passing through the state as well. The Family Stone is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a show at the Chandler Center for the Arts, while Tanya Tucker visits the Higley Center for the Performing Arts.

Venues and theater groups continue to add attractions to their lineups, but here is a highly selective preview of what arts lovers can expect within the next few months.

The Arizona Opera’s new season boasts four main stage productions at Symphony Hall at 75 N. Second Street, Phoenix, and at the Tucson Music Hall at 260 S. Church, Tucson. A special engagement of Hercules vs. Vampires will be held at Symphony Hall in Phoenix and Fox Theatre in Tucson. For more information, call 602.266.7464 or 520.293.4336 or visit azopera.org.

Hercules vs. Vampires

3 p.m. October 15, Fox Theatre

7:30 p.m. October 21, and 3 p.m. October 22, Symphony Hall

Tosca

7:30 p.m. November 11, and 3 p.m. November 12, Tucson Music Hall

7:30 p.m. November 17 and November 18, and 3 p.m. November 19, Symphony Hall

Arizona Theatre Company

Arizona Theatre Company launches its next 50 years with a season full of drama, romance and music. ATC is the only resident company in the United States that is fully based in two cities—Phoenix and Tucson.

Tucson performances are scheduled at Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Avenue, Tucson, 520.622.2823, while Phoenix shows are held at the Herberger Theatre Center, 222 E. Monroe Street, Phoenix, 602.256.6995. The website is arizonatheatre.org.

Chapter Two

Various times, September 9 to September 30, Temple of Music and Art

Various times, October 5 to October 22, Herberger Theatre Center

The River Bride

Various times, October 21 to November 11, Temple of Music and Art

Various times, November 16 to December 3, Herberger Theatre Center

Man of La Mancha

Various times, December 2 to December 23, Temple of Music and Art

Various times, January 11 to January 28, Herberger Theatre Center

Center Dance Ensemble

The Center Dance Ensemble celebrates its 29th season performing dance in the classical modern style, each telling and entertaining stories throughout movement.

Performances are held at the Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe Street, Phoenix. For tickets, call 602.252.8497 or visit herbergertheater.org. Visit centerdance.com for more information.

Ghosts & Goblins & Witches, Oh My!

7:30 p.m. October 19 to October 21

2 p.m. October 22

Noon October 19 and October 20

Snow Queen

2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturdays, and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sundays December 2 to December 17

Noon December 8 to December 15

Chandler Center for the Arts

Jointly owned by the city of Chandler and the Chandler Unified School District, the Chandler Center for the Arts kicked off its 28th season with a special summer performance by bluesman Jonny Lang. The Chandler Center for the Arts is located at 250 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler. The box office’s number is 480.782.2680, with the website of chandlercenter.org.

Pushcart Players’ The Velveteen Rabbit, Reborn

September 23

Mariachi and Folklorico Festival

September 30

Charles Phoenix: Disney Retro Slide Show

October 6

Get the Led Out: American Led Zeppelin

October 12

The Family Stone: 50th Anniversary Tour

November 4

B: The Underwater Bubble Show

November 10

Straighten Up and Fly Right: The Nat King Cole Tribute featuring Ramsey Lewis and John Pizzarelli

December 15

Zoppé, An Italian Family Circus

December 27 to January 7

Desert Foothills Theater

The award-winning Desert Foothills Theater is bringing to the stage musicals and dramas throughout the season. Founded in the North Valley in 1975, the DFT invites participation through open auditions for all shows and through a variety of educational opportunities.

ASU Gammage’s 2017-18 season is anchored by next year’s Hamilton and is packed with award-winning musicals, classics and the newest hits on Broadway. Performances are held at the theater, 1200 S. Forest Avenue, Tempe. For tickets, call 480.965.3434 or visit asugammage.com.

Fun Home

Various times September 5 to September 10

Something Rotten

Various times October 31 to November 5

The Bodyguard

Various times, November 28 to December 3

Cinderella

Various times, December 19 to December 24

Higley Center for the Performing Arts

The Higley Center for the Performing Arts is one of the East Valley’s best-kept secrets, seating 1,235 in the concert hall, and 186 in the “Little Theater.” Each season, it hosts nationally touring artists and entertainers, and is the home for student events and meetings of the Higley Unified School District. Funding for operations and staffing comes from rental income, sponsorships by community businesses and ticket sales.

All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. and are at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts, 4132 E. Pecos Road, Gilbert. For tickets, call 480.279.7190 or visit higleyarts.org.

Little Texas

September 16

Jim Pipkin and Friends: Around the Campfire

October 14

The Bellamy Brothers

November 7

Ronny Cox

November 9

Heart by Heart

November 18

Tanya Tucker

December 5

Magic Bird Festivals

Magic Bird Festivals have brought the “art of fun” to Arizona since 1989. Combining culture and entertainment, the Cave Creek-based company presents regionally inspired art, entertainment and holiday themed events.

The award-winning events with something for everyone are admired for authentic quality-driven vendors, live music and Native American hoop dancing performances. Magic Bird hand-selects local, regional and prestigious fine arts and crafts exhibitors and entertainers.

For more information, call 480.488.2014 or visit magicbirdfestivals.com.

ARTober Fest

Various times, October 13 to October 15

Williams Visitor Center, 200 W. Railroad Avenue, Williams

Roadhouse Attractions

Various times, November 3 to November 5; November 24 to November 26; December 1 to December 3; December 8 to December 10; and December 29 to December 31.

The Roadhouse, 6900 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek

Mesa Arts Center

The Mesa Arts Center boasts a well-rounded performance lineup, ranging from Grammy Award-winning cellist Zuill Bailey to former American Idol contestant David Archuleta.

The Mesa Arts Center is located at 1 E. Main Street. For tickets, call 480.644.6500 or visit mesaartscenter.com.

George Benson and Kenny G – The Breezin’ & Breathless Tour

8 p.m. September 15

The Beach Boys

7 p.m. September 17

Chopin/Bolling and the Matt Herskowitz Trio

7:30 p.m. September 21

The Magic of Bill Blagg Live!

7:30 p.m. September 22

Dancing Earth

7:30 p.m. September 30

Take Me to the River: Live! With Charlie Musselwhite, Bobby Rush, William Bell, Frayser Boy, Al Kapone, The Hi Rhythm Section and the Stax Alumni Band

Day of the Dead featuring La Santa Cecilia, Mexrrissey and Mariachi Flor de Toloache

8 p.m. October 27

Shopkins Live!

1 p.m. and 4 p.m. October 28

Flamenco Legends – The Paco de Lucia Project

7:30 p.m. November 2

Steep Canyon Rangers

7:30 p.m. November 3

Gregory Porter

7:30 p.m. November 5

Down the Rabbit Hole

7:30 p.m. November 9

National Geographic Live

Anand Varma: Beauty and the Bizarre

7:30 p.m. November 15

A Sarah Vowell & Daniel Handler Conversation and Book Signing

7:30 p.m. November 16

Trio Jinx

7:30 p.m. November 16

The Righteous Brothers

8 p.m. November 25

Tori Amos

8 p.m. November 29

Dave Koz & Friends

7:30 p.m. December 13

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas

3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. December 16

98 Degrees at Christmas

7:30 p.m. December 19

Menopause the Musical

Various times December 20 to December 31

Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West

This downtown Scottsdale attraction features ongoing and regularly rotating exhibits of Western art, Old West artifacts and historic Native American objects from some of the world’s foremost collectors and institutions.

The 43,000-square-foot museum’s entertaining events and informative programs bring the West’s history and cultural heritage to life in a contemporary setting that meets the highest standards for sustainability and conservation of natural resources. The Museum of the West became a Smithsonian Affiliate in 2015.

Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West is at 3830 N. Marshall Way. For a listing of exhibitions and events, visit 480.686.9539 or visit scottsdalemuseumwest.org.

The museum’s spotlight event of the fall is Canvas of Clay: Hopi Pottery Masterworks from The Allan and Judith Cooke Collection, which opens September 16.

Spanning six centuries, the exhibition explores the history and stylistic traditions of the Hopi, who have exceled in the creation of ceramics for generations. Among the historic and contemporary masterworks are 18 ceramics by Nampeyo of Hano (Hopi/Tewa, c. 1860-1942), the most famous of the Hopi potters. Twenty-two other master potters are also represented in the exhibition, including Nampeyo’s daughters and other descendants.

Musical Instrument Museum

The MIM presents a wide variety of concerts in its acoustically superb 300-seat theater. Approximately 200 artists appear each year, including many who have rarely, if ever, been seen in Phoenix. From jazz to classical, bluegrass to singer/songwriters, MIM is an unparalleled venue for enjoying old favorites and experiencing new sounds from around the world.

The MIM is at 4725 E. Mayo Boulevard, Phoenix. For tickets, call 480.478.6000 or visit mim.org.

Radney Foster

7:30 p.m. September 1

David Cook

7:30 p.m. September 2

Ana Popovic

7 p.m. September 3

Carbon Leaf

7 p.m. September 4

Kaki King and Derek Gripper

7:30 p.m. September 7

Eliane Elias

7 p.m. and 9 p.m. September 9

Southern Avenue

7:30 p.m. September 16

GoGo Penguin

7 p.m. September 17

Pascuala Ilabaca y Fauna

7 p.m. September 20

Leyla McCalla

7:30 p.m. September 21

The Accidentals

7:30 p.m. September 22

Samantha Fish

7:30 p.m. September 23

Iberi

7 p.m. September 24

Debashish Bhattacharya and Derek Gripper

7 p.m. September 25

Max Weinberg’s Jukebox

7 p.m. September 26 and September 27

Fourplay

7 p.m. and 9 p.m. September 28

Michael Kaeshammer

7:30 p.m. September 30

Cristina Pato

7 p.m. October 1

Bill Dutcher and Extreme Acoustic Ensembles

7 p.m. October 3

Skerryvore

7 p.m. October 4

Vieux Farka Toure

7:30 p.m. October 5

Danilo Pérez

6 p.m. October 6

Marc Broussard

8:30 p.m. October 6

Irma Thomas and the Blind Boys of Alabama, with the Preservation Hall Legacy Quintet

Formed 15 years ago, MusicaNova Orchestra hosts four symphonic concerts, along with free community shows and showcases of young musicians throughout the season.

MusicaNova is a professional symphony orchestra founded in 2003 and dedicated to playing new and neglected music and introducing the finest young artists to the Valley of the Sun. MusicaNova is supported in part by grants from the Arizona Commission on the Arts and the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture.

There is one show this fall: Mid-Century Masters: 20th Century English Composers, at 4 p.m. October 29, at Central United Methodist Church, 1875 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix.

For information, call 480.585.4485, or visit musicanovaaz.com. Concerts are held throughout the Valley, and tickets are available at musicanovaaz.com.

Orpheus

The Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix delivers quality and engaging performances, while hosting outreach activities. Concerts are held throughout the Valley. For more information, visit https://orpheus.org/.

The Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Chorale kicks off its season with “Bruffy’s Best,” a celebration of the tenure of outgoing Artistic Director Charles Bruffy. After 18 seasons marked with multiple Grammy nominations and wins, Bruffy will lead his final concerts with The Phoenix Chorale for the October season opening.

Tickets may be purchased at phoenixchorale.org or by calling 602.253.2224.

Bruffy’s Best

3 p.m. October 27

American Lutheran Church, 17200 N. Del Webb Boulevard, Sun City

7:30 p.m. October 28

Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 100 W. Roosevelt, Phoenix

3 p.m. October 29

Camelback Bible Church, 3900 E. Stanford Drive, Paradise Valley

A Chorale Christmas

7:30 p.m. December 15

American Lutheran Church

7:30 p.m. December 16

Trinity Episcopal Cathedral

3 p.m. December 17

Camelback Bible Church

7:30 p.m. December 18 and 7:30 p.m. December 19

Brophy Chapel, 4701 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts’ 2017-18 season features a lineup of music, dance, theater and comedy. Among the artists making their center debuts are Broadway stars Kelli O’Hara and Megan Hilty, and pop musician Steven Page, former lead singer of the Barenaked Ladies.

Performances take place at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts’ Virginia G. Piper Theater, unless otherwise noted. The SCPA is located at 7380 E. Second Street. For tickets, call 480.499.8587 or visit scottsdaleperformingarts.org.

Held against the backdrop of the red rock vistas, the Sedona Arts Festival is set for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, October 7, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, October 8, at the Sedona Red Rock High School, 990 Upper Red Rock Loop. The event showcases a diverse lineup of 125 juried artists from across the United States, plus music, food and art fun for the kids.

Tickets are $10 in advance at sedonaartsfestival.org, or $12 at the gate. Children 12 and younger are admitted free.